SOUT 1/03: 2003 Young Fish Survey of UK South Coast

A 2003 survey conducted by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 23 August and 1 September. It was part of the International Young Fish Survey to evaluate Sole and Plaice recruitment and small fish abundance around the British Isles. The survey operated on 93 stations and recorded 64 different species.

Use Cases

• Modeling recruitment trends for Sole and Plaice based on the survey's biological data.
• Analyzing small fish species abundance and diversity based on the catch and length data.
• Studying spatial distribution of marine species based on the 93 station locations.
• Comparing historical fish population data from the broader survey series (1981-2010).

Strengths

• Survey operations were conducted on a specific 93 stations, providing a defined spatial sample.
• Recorded data for 64 different species caught during the survey.
• Part of a long-term survey series running from 1981 to 2010, enabling temporal analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey in late summer 2003.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas)

Collection Method

Beam trawl survey operations undertaken at sea.

Time Range

23/08/2003 - 01/09/2003

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Geography

South and East coasts of the British Isles, predominantly the South coast.